Fast Curing Adhesive Systems for Industrial Applications

Fast curing adhesives can cure in minutes, or even seconds, which can improve assembly time and costs. Fast cure adhesives are available as one and two part formulations and come in a range of different chemistries. One-part formulations that cure with the application of heat or UV/LED light have a virtually unlimited open time at room temperature. Two-part formulations cure upon the reaction of their chemical components at ambient temperatures. Gel time for the fastest versions can be minutes, allowing them to be handled or removed from fixtures. To reach their fully cured state can take hours longer. It is important to note that engineers should question if a fast cure is absolutely necessary when selecting an adhesive--there could be trade-offs in the physical properties that would be less suitable for certain bonding, sealing and potting applications.

Typical Times And Mechanisms For Fast Curing Systems

Systems/Properties Gel Times @ 75°F Cure Times Cure Mechanism
2-component room temperature curable epoxy 3-10 minutes 12-24 hours at 75°F Cross linking at room temperature
1-component heat curable epoxy Will not gel at room temperatures 3-10 minutes at 250-350°F Heat activated
1-component cyanoacrylate 30-60 seconds 12-24 hours at 75°F Moisture/humidity
1-component silicone 3-10 minutes 12-24 hours at 75°F Moisture/humidity
UV curable Will not gel without UV exposure 20-40 seconds with UV light 365 nm with minimum 20-40 mW/cm2
UV + heat dual cure Will not gel without UV/heat exposure 20-40 seconds with UV + 40-60 minutes with heat 365 nm with minimum 20-40 mW/cm2 + heat 180-250°F
LED curable Will not gel without LED exposure 20-40 seconds with LED light 405 nm with minimum 1-4 W/cm2

Applying a Fast Cure Epoxy

EP65HT-1 is a two part, room temperature curing adhesive that can be applied with a gun applicator. You can see how quickly it sets up in this video.

Performance Properties for Fast Cure Compounds

Master Bond fast curing adhesives are custom formulated to feature outstanding performance properties including chemical resistance, thermal conductivity, high temperature resistance, high strength, low outgassing and more, which can be altered to meet specific requirements.

Some of Our Most Popular Fast Curing Adhesives, Sealants and Coatings

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